PROJECT DETAILS

Based on an Interview with Kukpi7 Patrick Michell 

About

In 2021, Kanaka Bar created a Community Resiliency Plan, which addresses the “foundations of life” (air, water, food, shelter, energy, communications, transportation, and waste management). In their view, these eight elements create healthy, happy people, and vibrant communities. Kanaka Bar began investing into this plan eight years ago as their previous economic development plan was expiring. Kukpi7 Patrick Michell explains that around this time, they realized that they needed to adjust their priorities to get back to the foundations of pre-contact life—back to a way of managing and interacting with the land relationally, rather than exploitatively. 

Positive Impacts and Outcomes

Through the implementation of this plan, Kukpi7 Patrick says “We became proud to be Indigenous People again. This is our land. These are our resources. We clean up the land. We will manage it for future generations.” In implementing their plan, Kanaka Bar quickly realized that in the same way Indigenous peoples survived contact and colonization, so had the land and ecosystems. While the people struggle, so does the land. 

In the past several years, Kanaka has undertaken many projects in pursuit of healing the land and the people. According to Kukpi7 Patrick, they are now building resiliency into every aspect of every project at Kanaka Bar. For example, they have installed an instream fish spawning and rearing channel above the Independent Power Project project (hydro). The 5-year report on the success of the fish channel indicates that instream fish populations have doubled in size and density, which has an overall net benefit to the environment. Positive impacts of implementing the newly released Community Resiliency Plan include, harm reduction, harm reversal, transition and adaptation; both the people and the land are starting to heal.  

Funding

Kukpi7 Patrick spoke candidly about the difficulties in securing funding for Kanaka Bar’s projects. “I can’t get a nickel. We are considered too small—[the governments] only want to fund mega projects. How am I going to convince the government to invest in us?  They build pipelines.” To date, Kanaka’s attitude has been “Canada - help or don’t, we are going to do it anyways.” In recognition of their chronic underfunding, Kanaka Bar has opted to focus on self-sufficiency, by using their own money to fund projects. In doing this, they hope to inspire other communities to tackle their projects head on, rather than waiting for help that may not come from colonial governments. 

Challenges

While securing funding has been a large challenge, the nature of policy and legislation that was not designed for Indigenous people also slows progress. According to Kukpi7 Patrick “You plant the seeds of change within the Federal, Provincial governments, and hope… Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn’t.”

Further, Kanaka Bar has had to work iteratively in order to continue to adapt to a changing climate. Kukpi7 Patrick states “You start to implement programs, policies, and projects - if it is the right one we are going to live with it, and if it is the wrong one, we are going to learn from it.” Despite these challenges, he stresses the importance of being proactive, rather than reactive.  

Community Climate Resilience

To Kanaka Bar, resilience is coming up with a plan that fits with your community’s continued story. Kukpi7 Patrick states that “Every Indigenous community regardless of where they are has a story. One that predates contact. One that talks about being a sustainable, resilient community. People need to realize that we’ve done this before, and we can do it again.” He stresses that we are all responsible for our own futures, and that the learning communities have done over the last 150 years needs to be put into practice. In Kanaka, this has meant that they build resiliency into everything—it means being able to shelter in place during Mother Nature’s climate change events.  

Next Steps

The next steps for Kanaka Bar are to continue the implementation of the ten climate solutions outlined within their resiliency plan. They want the whole community to be able to take climate action. The community energy plan will be reviewed every five years, so that after actions are taken, there can be reflection on the work completed and the work that still needs to be done. 

Recommendations for other Indigenous communities hoping to do similar work

Everything Kanaka Bar is doing is publicly available on their website. They hope to be an inspiration to other Nations who are working towards being more resilient. Kukpi7 Patrick asserts that “If you want to have a sustainable, self-sufficient and resilient community, you can, you just need to believe in it. Take on change management.  Don't be afraid of change, your ancestors weren’t. The Creator gave everyone the gift of life and power of choice. You have the power to choose your futures. And what you share, do and say today, determines your tomorrow. Don't let fear be your decider. What you’ve learned you can unlearn. Remember who you were, you’re still that person today.”